


Moons around Mars

by bluehairedbeauty



Series: Soulmate series [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Childhood Friends, Everyone is still in high school, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, One Shot, POV Third Person, Pre-Time Skip, Romantic Soulmates, Slice of Life, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28740312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluehairedbeauty/pseuds/bluehairedbeauty
Summary: Around the ages of 12-18 you get a Soulmark.  Your Soulmate has the matching one.Oikawa gets his first.Iwaizumi hasn't seemed to get his...yet.Both are pretty sure they're in love with each other.Both assume the other doesn't know.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Series: Soulmate series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107104
Comments: 3
Kudos: 83





	Moons around Mars

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This was the 'down the pipeline' fic I mentioned. School picked up and I kinds lost interest in this one until I had an idea for a Bokuaka fic in the same universe. So, Ta-da! This one has a lot more world building, in my opinion, and I'll probably revisit this ship/fic later to do them justice. Full disclosure, this was a hard one to write. I had an extended ending that I may tack on later, but I wanted to get this one out so I can have a foundation for my Bokuaka one. Nevertheless, enjoy!

The sun shone brilliantly in the blue sky as fluffy clouds began to gather on the horizon and overhead. One of the clouds drifted in front of the sun, providing a brief escape from the early July heat for 8-year-old Iwaizumi Hajime. You see, he was on a top-secret mission and a moment’s distraction could lead to utter failure. Crouching behind the brick wall, he slowly looked around the corner, water gun in hand, ready to strike. He had been hiding for the past few minutes behind the wall, using it as cover. This was a waiting game, and he would win. As Hajime scanned the yard, he suddenly saw light brown hair pop up behind a bush at the far end of the yard. Hajime quickly ducked back behind the wall; all he had to do was be patient and quiet, two things, thankfully, his enemy severely lacked. Soon, he heard light footsteps slowly approach. Holding his breath, he saw his target slowly creep by. He was holding his own bright green water gun, his head turned away from Hajime. The Target was walking slowly towards the big tree in the back corner of his yard across from Hajime. Although Hajime couldn’t see his face, he knew he was smugly smiling; thinking he’d figured out Hajime’s hiding spot. 

Silently, Hajime stalked his enemy. Once he got within arms width of his enemy, he raised his gun, and pulled the trigger. Ice cold water sprayed the back of Tooru’s head as the younger boy shrieked, turning to face his attacker. Of course, in doing so, he ended up getting a face-full of water. Hajime took off across the yard, laughing, as he was chased by Tooru, who had finally found his own weapon and was using it mercilessly. Tooru was, surprisingly, an amazing shot, and frequently hit Hajime in the back and head. But, soon Tooru ran out of water, and Hajime heard his friend’s quiet ‘uh oh’, signalling his empty magazine. Hajime’s tank was still half full, as the hunted became the hunter. Fear shone in Tooru’s eyes as Hajime grinned maliciously back at him. Tooru fled, shrieking, and Hajime gave chase, unaware that the snow white clouds overhead had started to darken. 

Hajime emptied his gun’s tank, then quickly threw it aside as he wrestled Tooru to the ground. Grass stains covered their clothes, and dirt caked their faces and legs. The two boys laughed as they tousled in the lawn. Suddenly, loud thunder boomed as the sky opened up. Rain poured down on them as the two boys ran back to the house, where Tooru’s mother waited with two fluffy towels to dry them off. 

“Tooru, why don't you and Hajime-kun go play in the living room, I’ll bring you some snacks in a little bit.” Tooru’s mom smiled sweetly down at the two of them. 

“Okay! Thanks mom!” Tooru grabbed Hajime’s hand and dragged him into the living room, before he could thank Tooru’s mom. 

Tooru pulled out a box filled with little action figures and toys. He began pulling them out one by one and explaining who they were and where he got them. Hajime sat silently, listening to his friend babble about the toys he's seen a hundred times before. Most of them Hajime recognized, but a few of them were new. Slowly, Hajime’s eyes drifted up from the box to Tooru’s face. His hair was always so light and bouncy, compared to Hajime’s own spiky dark hair. It always framed his face nicely, and Hajime’s mother always gushed about what a handsome boy Tooru was. She always loved his fairer complexion and soft features. Hajime’s father loved the boy’s energetic nature and interest in sports. But Hajime didn’t know what he liked best about his best friend. This realization sent Hajime deep into thought 

“Ah! Look at this one!” Tooru said breaking Hajime from his trance. He could feel the nervous heat rising to his face. He hoped Tooru didn’t notice that he wasn’t paying any attention to the toys that were now scattered about the room. Tooru was holding up a small gray-green dino-shaped action figure and was holding it out towards Hajime. “It's Godzilla! I remember you talking about how much you liked him and how you lost your old one because you kept having to bring it over everytime we play, so I got one the last time we went to the store! You can even move it’s jaw and arms! Watch!” 

Tooru pushed down on one of the siky scales going down on the toy's back. Godzilla’s arms moved up and his jaw opened. Hajime started at the little toy then looked back at his friend. Tooru’s eyes were alight and his smile was genuine and warm. Hajime felt his heartbeat pick up and butterflies in his stomach. His best friend always lit up in a special, unique, way when doing something for someone else. 

_That’s what I love most about him. That smile._

“You got that...for me?” Hajime finally asked, finding his voice. Sure, it was a simple little toy, but Tooru got it for him. And listened to him when he said he lost his old one. And that meant Tooru was thinking about him, and cared for him. Right? 

“Well yeah! He’s cool isn’t he? Now you can play with him instead of the race car or the Green Ranger.” Tooru placed the little dinosaur into Hajime’s hand as he picked up the knight. Hajime looked down at the toy and swallowed his nerves, before pressing down on the spiky scale and opening Godzillaz jaws to steal away the knight’s sword. 

“Wha-?! Hey! Give me back my sword! My knight needs it!” Tooru cried. 

“Too bad! He’s going to kill Godzilla with it because your knight is going to mistake him for a dragon!” Hajime retorted, emphasizing his point by making Godzilla munch on the plastic sword between his jaws. 

“HA-JI-ME! How dare you accuse my knight of wanting to kill your Godzilla! He’s pure of heart!” 

Hajime’s reply was just a steely eyed look. Godzilla munched on the sword again. 

After much debate and a blood oath sworn by the knight to not harm the beast, the boys were able to return to their play in peace. Oikawa’s mom hummed a small tune in the kitchen as she finished putting the last few crackers on the tray. Rain pitter-pattered lightly on the window, as she moved from the kitchen to the living room. The boys turned their heads as she walked into the room. 

“Here you are! Crackers, cheese, and some fruit! In the glasses there's apple juice for you both, and make sure that you don't eat too fast, or you’ll get a stomach ache. Also, Hajime-kun, your mother called and she’ll be by to pick you up after dinner.” 

“Thanks mom!” Tooru said as she kissed the top of his head Hajime echoed his friend's thanks. As Oikawa-san bent down to set the tray on the coffee table, his eyes were drawn to the markings on her fore-arm, visible now due to her rolled up sleeves. The mark was a light green semi-circle with a line going down the center that ended in two curved lines. Hajime thought it looked like a two-handled umbrella. She left the room, and Hajime turned to face his friend, who was shoving the crackers into his mouth. 

“I didn’t know your mom had a tattoo.” Hajime said taking a few crackers for himself and one for Godzilla. 

Tooru looked at him with a quizzical stare, crumbs on his chin. “What tattoo?” 

“The one on her arm. The green umbrella-looking one!” 

“Pffft, Hajime, are you dumb? That's not a tatoo, it’s her Soulmark.” 

“Oh...well, it’s hard to tell these days…” 

“Whatever! You totally didn’t know what it was!” Tooru said, shoving a handful of grapes into his mouth. 

“Hey! Leave some for me! Your mom told you to share!” Hajime said, slugging his friend in the arm. 

“Ow!! Why are you always so mean? You’re such a brute, Hajime,” Tooru said, rubbing his arm. Hajime rolled his eyes, and took a handful of fruit off the tray. The two boys fell into silence. Hajime felt the nerves rise again in his stomach. He felt incredibly stupid. How could it not be a Soulmark? The stigma around tattoos was slowly leaving the commonwealth, which caused them to be more prevalent; and Hajime liked to think he was smart for his age, but having this gap in knowledge so thoroughly exposed made Hajime feel incredibly vulnerable. 

“I’m sorry if I made you feel bad. I forgot your parents aren’t Soulmates, so you wouldn’t know they’re different from tattoos. And you’ve never seen my parent’s Marks before, so you wouldn’t know what they look like either.” Tooru said after a beat of silence, his voice low and sincere. Tooru probably realized his mistake and Hajime knew he meant no malice behind his actions. He also knew that if he didn’t respond soon the guilt his best friend would feel because of the little mistake would eat him alive, and that was the last thing Hajime wanted, and in a rare moment of affection, Hajime leaned his head on the shorter boy’s shoulder. The sudden action made Tooru jump. 

“It’s ok. You don't need to apologize.” Hajime quietly said. Tooru understood the weight of his friend's action.The two sat together, unmoving, for a few more minutes, eventually returning to their snacks. Soon, the sky cleared and they took the Knight and Godzilla out to continue their adventure. 

**☼**

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa’s sing-song voice called out across the school-yard. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as he turned to face his friend. Oikawa’s normally fluffy, light hair was uncharastically scruffy, and his clothes were a tad disheveled. They were now in their first year of junior high. As luck would have it, they were still in the same class together. 

Oikawa slowed down as he approached his friend. Iwaizumi was still taller than him, but Oikawa had hit his growth spurt and had begun to catch up to his friend. Iwaizumi looked at him with expressionless eyes. 

“Why didn’t you wait for me? We could have walked to school together,” Oikawa whined. 

“I _did_ wait for you! I waited for ten minutes, and even tried to call you. And by the looks of it, you ran all the way from your house to school to make it on time.” 

Oikawa gasped dramatically and held his hand over his heart. “Iwa-chan! How dare you accuse me of such abhorrent lateness! The lie you just made up is completely — his stomach growled loudly — semi...kinda...true.” 

Oikawa looked at the ground, and toed a pebble. His stupid stomach had given him away. He heard Iwaizumi say something, and as he turned to look up, his reflexes reacted to something being thrown at him. As his hands caught the object, the sound of crinkling plastic filled his ears. Oikawa looked down at the packaged milk bread in his hands. 

“I stopped by the convenience store on my way here. I figured you wouldn’t be able to eat breakfast since you were running so late,” Iwaizumi said softly, turning and walking into the school building as the final bell sounded. “Come on, we’re going to be late for class.” 

Oikawa’s eyes filled with small tears as he thanked his friends and threw his arms around Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi wrestled Oikawa off of him, heaving a healthy dose of insults and complaints. The pair walked to their lockers, then to their classroom. When they entered, their teacher was talking to a sharply dressed woman. Her hair was pulled back into a professional bun at the nape of her neck, and her glasses hung off of a silver chain around her neck.The pair took their seats in the middle back of the class. 

“Good morning students!” Their teacher began, “This is Dr. Sasaki Miyako. She is a researcher in Amology, and she’s here to talk to you all. Please give her your full attention and respect.” 

“Thank you. Well, hello everyone!” Dr. Sasaki began, with a bright smile, “I am Dr. Sasaki, and I am the lead scientist at a facility in Tokyo. Part of my job is to partake in youth outreach programs, like the one today.” She turned and picked up a piece of chalk and began writing on the board. 

“Now, I study Amology. Which is, the study of Soulmates and Soulmarks. By now, I’m sure many of you have some ideas about what they are. But, because your very own Soulmarks will begin to appear soon, and because this is a relatively new field of study, we thought it would be a good idea to educate you about Soulmates and what they entail.” 

Dr. Sasaki turned and began to write on the board again. Oikawa shot Iwaizumi a bored look and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes in agreement. 

“The first point,” Dr. Sasaki gestured to the board where she had written the three points, “is defining what a Soulmate actually is. A Soulmate, by the definition we have decided upon, are people or persons who share the same Soulmark. Soulmates and Soulmarks only began to appear 200-250 years ago, so the data is limited. But, the definition we have now works, though it is subject to change. We have also found that 55% of the time, your Soulmate is someone you already know.” 

Oikawa felt his eyes unconsciously dart to Iwaizumi. Thankfully, he was looking straight ahead at the board, eyes glazed over. Oikawa let his eyes travel over his best friend’s face. His features were starting to sharpen up a bit, and his eyes had lost some of their blue and were now becoming greener. They were easily his best feature, and they complimented his tan skin beautifully. But, his hair was also thick and naturally healthy, and the few times he’d been able to touch Iwai-chan’s hair, it's always been incredibly, surprisingly, soft. Honestly, Iwa-chan was really starting to pretty up and then all the girls are going to flock to him and he won’t have any time for Tooru! And furthermore, the two of them would make a better couple than anybody in this class! Obviously, they were the two most attractive kids in the class, on top of the natural chemistry they shared. They would go together so nicely! Much better than any old girl and Iwa-chan. They’d even go on all the best dates and be voted the cutest couple and— 

Oikawa quickly looked back to the front. He had caught up with his racing thoughts just in time to reel them back. Oikawa sighed, and leaned back in his seat. 

_Thank goodness he’s not paying attention, he thought. I would have gotten hit if he caught me staring for so long._

_Wait, why is my beating this fast...and when did it get so hot? I must be catching a cold, or maybe even the flu. Yeah… I’m definitely getting sick! Hopefully I’m not contagious yet, I’ll have to make sure I take vitamin C supplements when I get home…_

“Now,” Dr. Sasaki’s words drew Oikawa back to the lecture, “onto the second point. Soulmarks are the identifier that we use to help identify our other half. They are often a unique shape and color, special to each pair of Soulmates. Usually, they are both in the same place for both people. If your Soulmark is on your shoulder, there is a 90% chance your Soulmate will have the same mark there as well. This statistic was recently discovered, about ten years ago, and it was thought before to be random. We are also currently researching the trend of rotated marks. That is, a mark is rotated slightly from one person to the other in a pair. We also now believe that there is a genetic component to this as well. If your parents have dual-locational or rotated Soulmarks, then you and your Soulmate are likely to as well. You should be having open conversations with your parents or guardians, as their genetics will affect you, both pertaining to Soulmarks and other health issues.” 

Oikawa thought of his own parents. His mom and dad were dual-locational Soulmates. His mom’s mark was on her arm, while his dad’s was on his calf. They joke all the time that if they had never started dating in the summer then they might've not realized they were Soulmates. 

Iwaizumi, now paying attention, felt an anxious twinge in his gut. He had come to terms with the fact that his parents weren't Soulmates. They still loved each other and the world was a big place with lots of people, so what was the harm? For a while, his parents had covered their marks, keeping Iwaizumi in the dark. But, they forgot one day and of course, Iwaizumi found out sometime before his seventh birthday. He immediately confided in his best friend, who was there to walk him back home after he ran away from home for all of two hours. His world was slightly shaken and his parents resumed to hide their marks, but Iwaizumi still remembers the taunts of the kids who figured out that the lilac squares on his mother's ankle are absent on his father’s. But, with those memories came the ones of Oikawa standing up for him on the playground, jering at his attackers, and the fact he never batted an eye that his parents had different marks on the holiday they took to the beach for his tenth birthday. He had always been there to pick him up when Iwaizumi was at his lowest. Yet, Hajime always fears that one of his parents would meet their Soulmate and leave himself and the other behind had plagued most of his childhood, and that the fact that his parents never found their Soulmates may affect him finding his. 

“Some people report that when they touch their mark to their partner’s, they feel a special connection. This phenomena has been reported feeling anywhere from an electric shock to heat to even unexplained numbness. We are currently doing tests to see whether or not this phenomena holds any scientific merit. The current hypothesis as to why this is happening is highly sensitive sensory receptors found only in your Soulmark reacting to the unique genetic components of your partner’s Mark,” Dr. Sasaki concluded. She looked around the room, and asked for questions. When none appeared, she continued, “The last piece of information I will give you, is probably the most exciting. It is how to identify when you are getting your Soulmark.” 

The entire class shifted in their seats. This was the most exciting part of the lecture, and the most applicable to them. 

“Usually, Soulmarks appear anywhere from 12-18 years of age. Symptoms most common are irritation and itchiness to a certain area. Think of it like losing a tooth. Your body is making way for this new adult ‘tooth’, your Soulmark, so it makes your skin itchy and irritated so you scratch and pick at it to help the Mark come in. Please, when you notice this, tell someone immediately so they can get you creams and bandages. Many people have scarring on and around their Soulmark from where they scratched too hard and scarred the area. You may also notice that your skin is drier and you have dandruff. This is all normal. Your body is just trying to make the mark appear quicker. Soon, you will start to see the shape slowly form; this process can take anywhere from five days to two weeks.” __

_Two weeks?!_ Oikawa balked at the statement. He prayed that it wouldn’t take two whole weeks for his Mark to come in. That would be two whole weeks of no volleyball practice! No Hanging out with friends! No Saturday trips with Iwa-chan! Did life really have to be such a pain? 

“Remember, don’t be discouraged if your friends are getting their Marks and Soulmates before you. Everyone is running a different race, and you should focus on running yours to the best of your abilities. Any final questions?” Dr. Sasaki concluded. 

A million hands shot up in the air. Many of Oikawa’s classmates began asking questions too personal to themselves for Dr Sasaki to know. As Dr. Sasaki finished up the questions, the excitement died down, and the rest of the day droned on. After an unusually hard practice, Oikawa and Iwaizumi dragged their tired feet back to their homes. 

“Man that sucked ass,” Iwaizumi complained. 

“Don’t be crude Iwa-chan. It’s unbecoming, and you know the more you mention it the more you think about it and then the more—-” 

“Get to the point!” 

“Okay! Okay! Jeez! My point is let’s talk about something else.” 

“Do you have something in mind?” Iwaizumi asked. Oikawa bit the inside of his cheek. Of course Iwa-chan had read him like a book. In Oikawa’s memory, he and Iwaizumi had talked about everything, except Soulmates. 

“That was a pretty interesting lecture we got today from the Doctor Lady.” He said finally 

“Oh, so you want to talk about Soulmates.” Oikawa balked at the bluntness (and trueness) of his friend's statement. 

“Though,” Iwaizumi continued hesitantly, “I’m not sure if I would be the best person to talk about that kind of stuff with… with my parents and all...” Oikawa could sense the drop in his friend’s confidence. For a second, panic rose in Oikawa’s chest. Did he accidentally hurt his best friend? Does Iwa-chan hate him now? 

“Of course you are! Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about what your Soulmark looks like?” Oikawa quickly turned the subject to the second half of Dr. Sasaki’s lecture. It was true, he did want to know Iwa-chan’s thoughts on the matter, but Oikawa also knew it was a touchy subject, and he wanted to make sure his friend was comfortable even if it meant ignoring his own curiosity. 

“Well, I’d like my mark to be small and simple and someplace that I can cover up easily. Like on my back or something.” 

“That's so...boring Iwa-chan! Don’t you want it to be a bit more flashy?” “Well, I’m not you, Shittykawa! And for what it’s worth I hope you get yours on your face!” 

“Mean! I don’t think even the gods would be cruel enough to do that. I just think that if it’s somewhere more showy it would save people a lot of time and heartbreak.” Oikawa said. 

Iwaizumi pondered his friend’s statement for a second. Even though the school year had begun, Oikawa has already gotten a handful of confessions, each one he turned down. And each time he did, Iwaizumi always felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. 

“I guess that makes sense coming from your perspective.” Iwaizumi finally said, picking up his pace and leaving Oikawa behind, and effectively ending the conversation. 

“I—HEY! Wait! Slow down you oaf! What’s that supposed to mean?” Oikawa yelled, speeding up to catch up with the now running Iwa-chan, who was laughing at the slower boy behind him. They two raced to the street corner that divided their homes, laughter echoing the night sky. Later that night, Iwaizumi would lay awake in bed, looking up at the ceiling, pondering whether or not he would be in the lucky majority that already knew their Soulmates, and thinking about how it wouldn’t be all that bad if a certain burnett just happened to be his 

The next week, Oikawa didn’t show up for the first two classes. Iwaizumi started to worry a little, but relaxed when Oikawa trudged in in the middle of the third period. But, oh boy, did he look awful. His hair was a mess and his eyes were bleary and downcast. His always pristine uniform was uncharastically sloppy. But, worst of all, he had a cloth splint on his right hand that extended all the way up to his elbow. As he took his seat next to Iwaizumi and Iwaizumi tried to shoot him a worried look, but Oikawa kept his eyes down. All throughout the class, Iwaizumi kept glancing at his unkempt friend. Though the unkempt friend never returned his looks, he was worrying the inside of his cheek, and Iwaizumi took note of that. When the class wrapped up, and the students were released to their break, Iwaizumi was about to break the ice when Oikawa finally looked up at him with bleak eyes and spoke first. 

“My Soulmark started to come in.” 

“Oh.” Iwaizumi was caught off guard. He expected a sprain or a break or a tear, not something so...temporary. 

“Iwa-chan, that lady was right. This is awful, I think I may die!” 

“Stop being dramatic, you won’t die.” 

“How would you know? You don’t have your Soulmark yet...wait do you?” Oikawa’s eyes became sharp and focused at the possibility of Iwaizumi’s Soulmark. 

Iwaizumi sighed before conceding the point that he didn’t know how annoying and terribly itchy the process was, but staying firm on the fact that it couldn’t be that bad. Iwaizumi hoped that Oikawa couldn’t tell that he was practically dying to see that his best friend’s mark looked like, and, as if by magic, Oikawa began to undo the splint around his arm. 

The mark wasn’t on the back of Oikawa’s hand or on his wrist or forearm like Iwaizumi had thought, but rather it was on the palm of his hand. Iwaizumi felt a twinge of guilt realizing now that it probably was, in fact, more annoying than he had originally thought. 

“It started to itch two nights ago, and last night my mom took me to the store and got me everything. I couldn’t sleep last night, it was bugging me so much,” Oikawa explained. Though it was still undeveloped, Iwaizumi could see the shape starting to take form. From what he could tell, there was a dot, about the size of an American dime in the middle of his palm, surrounded by a spotty circle. On that circle, and inline with the middle, larger, dot was a smaller one, right under his third finger. The color was dark, and Oikawa told Iwaizumi that he hoped that he’d inherited the genes that make his Soulmark blue. While the mark was undoubtedly cool, and strangely beautiful, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but notice the gloss of ointment over Oikawa’s palm and the redness from the irritation the mark was giving him. 

“Can you set?” 

Oikawa bit his bottom lip in thought. “I don’t know. I can try, but also I don't think I’ll be out for too long.” He began to replace the splint on his wrist. 

Iwaizumi hummed in response. Oikawa was able to practice later that afternoon, albeit with some uncharastic inaccuracy. But, the five days came and went, and Oikawa's Soulmark was as striking as Iwaizumi had imagined. It was a deep royal blue, just like the setter had hoped, and a third dot had fallen in line with the others and the circle had filled in. Next year when the pair learned about chemistry, Iwaizumi would find a likeness in Oikawa’s Mark to that of a Helium atom. Fitting, considering Oikawa’s gravity-defying hair and ability to set a ball so elegantly it looks like it’s flying. Oikawa was always floating above the crowd, unbothered and aloof. One of the only things keeping him tethered to the ground was his Iwa-chan. After much thought and many sleepless nights, Oikawa decided that Iwaizumi’s ability to ground him was his favorite quality about his best friend, green eyes be damned, and Oikawa was determined to keep his precious Iwa-chan in his life, even is it meant ignoring the butterflies he got whenever Iwaizumi smiled at him and stopping his run-away heart everytime Iwaizumi innocently bought him snacks from the convenience store; ignoring his true feelings almost became second nature to Oikawa when it came to his best friend. So when Iwaizumi began to act weird, Oikawa wasn’t sure what to do with himself. 

It started with some small things the summer before their last year of junior high. Iwaizumi began to wear shirts with sleeves, no matter how hot it was. He also began to get jumpy whenever Oikawa touched him, much to the touchy-feely setter’s chagrin. These two revelations quietly upset Oikawa, but it only became more apparent that something was up when volleyball started back up again. Iwaizumi usually changed with everyone else in the locker room. But, he started to change his shirt before entering the room or he would go to the bathrooms they had in the back of the locker room and change in the stalls. Thankfully, Oikawa found a way to bypass this oddity his best friend had developed. Oikawa discovered that if he held Iwaizumi in conversation, Iwa-chan wouldn’t be able to escape to the bathroom, due to the rules of common civility. (Take that you brute!) Oikawa was beyond thankful that he discovered this band-aid solution to bring their friendship back to some normalcy. 

“ — and then I said ‘mom why don’t you make dad do it?’ and she had the AUDACITY, the audacity, Iwa-chan to tell me that dad was busy when he was napping on the couch!” Oikawa complained. October leaves crunched underfoot as they made their way to the locker rooms. Iwazumi walked next to him, listening to the burnetts' dramatics. They entered the locker room just as Oikawa was finishing up his story about how he had to vacuum his entire house by himself. Iwaizumi held the door open for Tobio, who ran to catch it. The younger boy looked up at him with big, innocent, eyes before thanking his senior shyly. The three of them were the first to arrive. Oikawa huffed when Tobio set his bag down on Iwaizumi’s left, while Oikawa was on his right. Oikawa jumped right back into his story, hoping to extend it and keep Iwaizumi in the room. Opening his locker as he talked, Iwaizumi turned his head to face his best friend. Iwaizumi began to change his shirt, keeping his torso square to the lockers in front of him, only moving his head, which now had to be inclined to face the setter. Tobio was rummaging around in his bag, before he looked over to Iwaizumi to presumially ask him a question. A loud gasp echoed in the empty room. Both boys turned to look at the wide-eyed first year, whose eyes darted between Oikawa, Oikawa’s hand, and Iwaizumi. 

“I-you’re-uh…” Tobio stuttered. Oikawa was frozen, right hand outstretched and reaching into his locker, in the process of taking out the spare hairbrush he kept. Oikawa saw Tobio make eye-contact with Iwaizumi, and even though he couldn’t see his friend’s face, he could tell by Tobio’s sudden silence that it was commanding and spoke a thousand unsaid words. 

“Nevermind…” Tobio mumbled to the floor, and turned back to his bag. Oikawa’s curiosity now piqued, took a step towards his junior, as Iwaizumi quickly pulled on his t-shirt he was going to wear for practice. Oikawa began to barrage Tobio with questions about what he was going to say. This only lasted a few moments before the other team members began to file into the room. As noise and people filled the room, Oikawa became distracted by all the new stimulants, and left Tobio to torment some other poor soul. In his short absence, Iwaizumi gave his junior a quick, but genuine apology for scaring him so badly. After that day, Iwaizumi alwaysed double checked who was on his left when he changed. 

**☼**

High School went by both too quick and impossibly slow. In a blink of an eye Iwaizumi and Oikawa were third years staring college and futures in the face. The duo had grown in size to add Matsukawa and Hanamaki, and the four built a strong foundation to leave Sejioh on. Matsukawa and Hanamaki found out they were Soulmates in their second year thanks to a fluke on Oikawa’s part. In an out-of-system play during practice, Oikawa hit the ball straight into the side of Maki’s head. The wing spiker fell to the floor with a hard thud, and the momentum of the fall exposed the continuous red line (that looked suspiciously similar to an ice cream cone) on his outer thigh. As players rushed to help him, the mark usually covered by his shorts was noticed by the middle blocker, who almost fell on his own face trying to get his athletic shorts off to compare marks. Later, Oikawa harped about how much easier it would have been if Mattsun had just lifted up the hem of his shorts, but the blacked haired boy was wearing compression shorts under his practice gear and was too determined and frazzled to think of convenience. The two boys eventually had their happily ever after, and began dating a few months later. 

Even though Oikawa was beyond happy for his friends, he was beginning to feel the thorns of jealousy prick at his heart. He loved them both dearly, but the quiet whispers and jokes they shared made Oikawa’s skin burn. Oikawa wished that he could share that bond with someone (Even better if it was with a certain green eyed ace). He always hated when they acted way too coupley, almost flaunting, the oneness they shared. Especially during practice. 

“Babe I got the ball for you,” Maki said suggestively holding the ball out to his partner. 

“O.M.G. Babe you didn’t,” Mattsun winked and took the ball, quickly kissing his partner on the cheek. 

“Can you two not! We’re in the middle of a drill!” Oikawa holdered from the other side of the net. Again, it was late October, and Oikawa was fed up with the other third year’s blatant disrespect for his singleness. Because of the placement of his mark, the number of confessions he received dwindled, and even when they do confess, he always tells them that he’s waiting to find his Soulmate. Oikawa knew it was his choice, but also it wouldn’t kill the couple to be a bit more reserved or the universe to be quicker in sending his Soulmate his way. 

“Let them be, Shittykawa. Kindaichi is waiting on his set.” Iwaizumi said, ducking under the net to join Oikawa on his side and putting the ball he shagged back into the bin. The hitting drill they were doing consisted of three lines with the two setters setting to the two outside lines closest to them and then alternating turns setting to the middle. After each hitter hit, they retrieved their ball and put it back into the bin between Oikawa and Yahaba. 

Oikawa huffed a little and returned to his setting. Outside, middle, outside, rest, until it was Iwaizumi’s turn to hit again. Oikawa tossed the ball up to himself, before setting it across to Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi took to the sky, just as a loose ball rolled underfoot. Shouts of warnings filled the air, as Iwaizumi landed, just barely clipping the edge of the ball with this heel. The wing spiker began to fall backwards, balance lost, as Oikawa, who was the closest to him, reached out to steady his friend. Oikawa’s right hand connected just below Iwaizumi’s left shoulder, steadying the teen. Only when Iwaizumi lifted his eyes to meet Oikawa did it hit the both of them. 

Oikawa felt a surge of electric energy run through his hand, up his arm, and fill his head. It felt like every neuron in his brain was firing all at once. His hand burned, but he couldn’t remove it from his friend’s shoulder. The yellow flakes in Iwaizumi’s eyes seemed to be glowing, and his mouth was slightly agape. Oikawa also noticed an uncharastic pink begin to dust his cheeks. Hajime, on the other hand, felt his skin go icy cold under Oikawa’s palm. All of the blood had drained from the setter’s face, which only illuminated his brilliant caramel eyes. The lack of blood in Oikawa’s face also revealed the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of Oikawa’s nose that only appeared in the summer. Iwaixumi’s head was filled with the loudest silence he had ever heard. Time seemed to freeze between the two, and it probably would have if a certain middle blocker hadn’t shaken Oikawa’s shoulder, causing him to lose grip on Iwaizumi. 

“Hey! Oikawa, man, are you ok?” Mattsun said, his words breaking the two out of their trance. Oikawa looked to his friend, then down at his palm, looking for an explanation in his skin, then back up to Mattsun. 

“I mean, we were worried about Iwaizumi hurting himself, but should we be worried about you too?” Hanamaki added, looking between the two of them and standing behind his Soulmate. Color began to return and rise in Oikawa’s face, while Iwazumi took a peculiar interest in the far wall, ceiling, and floor. 

“I-uh…” Oikawa stuttered, losing his usual debonair disposition. He ran a hand through his hair before continuing, “uh, Yeah, I-I’m good! What about you, Iwa-chan? You're the one that almost rolled an ankle.” 

Iwaizumi cooly responded that he was, in fact, ok. 

“That's good. We can’t have our ace hurt with the upcoming practice game against Karasuno. And anyway, who let the ball roll all the way across the gym without stopping it?” Both Iwaizumi and Oikawa were both thankful for the latter’s quick diversion, shifting the focus off of them. A few of the first years began to bicker among themselves after a little more prodding from Oikawa, before the coach yelled at all of them to get back to the drill. Hanamaki and Matsukawa shared a knowing look, as Iwaizumi and Oikawa avoided eye-contact for the rest of the practice. 

The last third of practice continued on with little disturbance. It seemed that everyone on the team had mostly forgotten about the incident, and as third years, it was their responsibility to lock up after practice. Oikawa was always able to read people very easily, and he hated that he could tell that Makki and Mattsun were having their own quiet conversation right above his head between the looks they gave each other. When they moved into the locker room, the pair seemed to have an unusual alacrity to their routine. Oikawa had only gotten a quarter of his after-practice routine completed when a set of keys were dumped into his hands. 

“We’re heading out,” Makki said, lifting his bags from the floor to his shoulders, “lock up when you two are done.” 

Oikawa looked from his friend to the hallway that led to the back of the locker room where Iwaizumi was digging around in his locker. 

"I think you two have some things to talk about. Call us if it goes south.” Mattsun said quietly from behind Makki, as the latter reached out and punched his shoulder affectionately. Oikawa nodded silently. As the door closed behind the pair, Mattsun let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Even though Makki didn’t show it, he was feeling the exact same, and was also the one to break their silence as they walked home. 

“How do you think it’ll work out?” 

“I think they’ll be fine.” Mattsun said to the sky. 

“Oh?” 

“They’re Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Even before their Marks appeared, Hell freezing couldn’t keep them apart. Some people are just made for each other no matter what. They’ll be ok.” Makki smiled at his partner’s sentiments, and lightly bumped their shoulders together as they walked into the night. 

Back in the room, Oikawa looked down at the keys in his hands. He had sped through the rest of his routine, Mattsun’s implications made Oikawa’s heart rate quicken, and his hands seemed to mindlessly and nervously fly though the remaining portions of his routine. Between himself and Iwa-chan, he was always more confrontational. He would speak up when someone got his order for food wrong, whereas Iwaizumi just ate what he got (the brute). But, he wasn’t confronting some server in a restaurant, this was his best friend of God-knowns-how-many-years. And, on top of that, Oikawa was also pretty sure he was pretty deep in love with said childhood best friend; to complicate the matter further. No one and nothing has ever occupied so much of Tooru’s thoughts for this long. Oh, was he ever the hypocrite! How many girls, and the occasional guy, had Oikawa turned down because he was waiting for his Soulmate? Sure, he’d had his flings, but how embarrassing was it to admit he’d fallen in love, LOVE, with his best friend who (as far as he knew) hadn’t gotten his Mark yet; and worse yet, may not be his Soulmate or completely reject his feelings. The latter scaring him the most. 

“Hey, you ready?” Iwaizumi was suddenly beside Oikawa, who jumped at the sudden sound of his voice. 

“Uh…I...Yeah. Makki gave me the keys.” Iwaizumi hummed in response, smiling slightly. Oikawa bent down to tidy up his bag, biting the inside of his cheek and praying that Iwaizumi didn’t see the tips of his ears pinken. Oikawa was now suddenly very aware of Iwaizumi’s presence. Iwaizumi did, however, notice Oikawa worrying his cheek between his teeth (not that he was staring at his mouth to begin with, why on earth would he be doing that?). It was one of Oikawa’s nervous quirks, but why should he be nervous? Oikawa was Iwaizumi’s everything. Hajime had always been the one to follow Oikawa. Of course, he had his own interests independent of Oikawa, but he had followed Oikawa to the annual summer sports camps, to the art and pottery classes when they were nine, to the space camp at ten, then to volleyball and bingeing the stupid dramas on T.V. It wasn’t that he was without personality; it's the fact that Oikawa was magnetic. He showed Hajime unparalleled kindness and love and trust, even when they were just barely friends. Iwaizumi prayed that their walk home would be uneventful as ever, parting ways at the street corner they always did. He didn’t want to unearth his entire life as he knew it. Iwaizumi was too deep in thought to notice how his hand subconsciously covered the bottom corner of Oikawa’s open locker door as the lanky setter straightened to prevent him from hitting his head; Oikawa pretended not to notice. 

The clicking lock brought Iwaizumi off of the autopilot he didn’t know he’d been running on. He and Oikawa were standing outside of their locker room, the setter heaving a sigh before pocketing the keys. Oikawa acted nonchalant, not filling the air with his usual chatter, but not biting his tongue completely. In between small talk, Iwaizumi stole a quick glance at him, and saw that Oikawa’s eyes betrayed his cool demeanor. His eyes had a critical and ruthless gleam in them, reserved only for the volleyball court and difficult tests. He was analyzing every different way to approach the issue and wracking his brain with all the possible outcomes. Iwaizumi looked down at the pavement, sending up a silent prayer that their ensuing conversation would be as painless as possible. 

“Iwaizumi.” The use of his full name sent a cold dread down the ace’s spine. “What happened back there? At practice?” 

Hajime huffed and looked to his right a little, offering up that he didn’t know what Oikawa was talking about. Of course the bastard had to be standing on his left. After a beat of silence Oikawa spoke again. 

“What are you hiding?” 

This got Iwaizumi to suddenly stop, causing the taller boy to take a few more steps before realizing his companion had stopped moving all together. Iwaizumi’s eyes scanned the ground, searching for an answer in the dirt. Oikawa began to falter, his confidence slightly shaken. He expected Iwaizumi to explode, to get in his face and insist that nothing was the matter and that he was fine, and ask him what on earth he was talking about. The silence all but confirmed the setter’s intuition. Not wanting to levy accusations without evidence, Oikawa continued, explaining the changes in their junior high days, the obvious *whatever that happened in the gym, and just as he was half way through his concluding monologue that he would always be there for him and they were best friends for fuck’s sake so he shouldn’t be hiding things, Iwaizumi curtly cut him off. 

“I would show you but your nervous rambling is making it hard for me to get a word in.” 

Oikawa’s mouth shut with a click, lips pressed together in a tight line. Iwaizumi let out a light laugh at Oikawa’s theatrics. “Ok, turn around.” 

“Turn around?!” 

“And close your eyes for good measure.” 

Oikawa let out a short cry of frustration. Why did Iwa-chan have to be so difficult?! Oikawa kicked a pebble down the road as he turned 180 degrees and brought his hands up over his eyes, grumbling to himself. Oikawa was so focused on his annoyance that he didn’t hear Iwaizumi’s jacket zipper running down it’s track. Iwaizumi felt his heart thunder against his ribs. The truth would come out eventually, and he wanted at least some control over the situation. Iwaizumi only prayed that his dwindling confidence would stand up to this test. 

“Ok, you can turn around now. Just, try not to freak out too much.” Iwaizumi said, with shaking breath, wincing at the speed at which Oikawa whipped his head around. At first, Oikawa looked right at his face, studying it and trying to find even the smallest of disturbances. Aside from the blush across his face, Iwaizumi looked as normal as ever. 

_Damnit, no face tattoo!_

_Wait, blush?_

Oikawa widened his gaze, and looked at his best friend as a whole. He had turned so the left side of his body was facing Oikawa, and his jacket was over his right arm, which was holding up the left sleeve of his t-shirt. On his left bicep was a marking identical to the one on Oikawa’s palm. The three dots lining up laterally with the outer two trapped on the circle like the moons around Mars. Oikawa’s eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped. His eyes darted between the mark on his hand and the one on his best friend's arm. The usually chatty setter was unnervingly quiet, as he began to process this sudden revelation. 

“ I...” Iwaizumi wasn’t sure what to say. What can he say, sorry I didn’t tell you because I was too scared you’d reject me, that you’d want to find someone better, even if they weren't your Soulmate? I think the universe messed up because you’re too good to be held back by me? I love you so much it sometimes scares me? Where could he even start? 

“I know you probably want answers, or at least have a lot of questions. You can ask me anything.” He figured letting Oikawa make the first move allowed him to control how he responded to each question. Iwaizumi finally released his sleeve, and started to pull his jacket back on when Oikawa shot his hand forward and stopped him. Startling the shorter boy, Oikawa roughly pushed up Iwaizumi’s sleeve, licked his thumb, and began to rub aggressively at the mark. Iwaizumi quickly protested and yanked his arm out of the setter’s grasps with a few expletives of his own. Oikawa looked down at his thumb; no ink or debris had rubbed off; so it wasn't a fake. A girl who graduated last year got into a big scandal right at the end of school for buying custom temporary tattoos to match her boyfriend’s Mark. 

“So...it’s not fake.” Oikawa said at last as Iwaizumi was finally able to pull on his jacket; though he left it unzipped, “Then, I guess I have 3 questions.” 

“Ok. First one.” Usually, Iwaizumi could get a read on Oikawa and predict how he was feeling, but looking at Oikawa, eyes down yet standing tall, Iwaizumi felt like he was looking at a brick wall. Oikawa was letting nothing slide subconsciously, which meant he was keeping Iwaizumi out intentionally. 

Of course, Iwaizumi had no idea how his best friend would react. Whenever it was Oikawa’s turn to pick a movie, he would always choose a drama or romance and would fawn and the confessions and weep at the dramaturgy. He would always compare the characters actions to what he would do: _‘See, Iwa-chan if I was Miki-chan I’d run up to Tsukuda-kun and jump into his arms!’_ or: _‘Look, Iwa-chan, if I was Kanda-kun I’d be running after Suzu-chan, rain be damned!’_ or: _‘UGH, Iwa-chan, if I ever received as shitty of a confession as Kamiya-chan just got, I’d slap the person who was confessing to me. It’s like Muto-san didn’t put any effort into it, and Kamiya deserves better!’_

Iwaizumi hoped he wasn’t about to be slapped. 

“Who knew? You couldn’t have kept this from everyone.” Oikawa said, hyper aware of the wavering in his voice. Of, course, this was nothing compared to his thundering heart. He must be dreaming. This can’t be happening. Oikawa’s eyes never rose to meet Iwaizumi. He had to keep his composure steady, and looking at Iwaizumi would ruin it. 

“Outside of my family and yours, you know how our mothers talk, Mattsun and Makki...most of the team actually. There was a small betting pool on whether you’d find out first or Kindaichi.” Iwaizumi hoped that his feeble attempt at a joke would lighten the mood; but after taking one look at Oikawa he knew that it would be his last attempt. “The only other person I can think of is Tobio—” 

“As in Kageyama?! He knew before I did?!” Oikawa’s head snapped up upon hearing this news. Iwaizumi winced a little before continuing. 

“It was a fluke that he found out, and it happened back in junior high. Besides, if anyone asked he wouldn’t tell; he may have even forgotten about it.” A foggy memory sluggishly resurfaced in Oikawa’s mind. If he was being honest, practice that afternoon was more memorable than Iwaizumi’s slip up. That was the day Tobio walked into the gym doors because he was too busy analyzing Oikawa’s serve, but now on second thought he may have been staring for another reason. 

"So, it’s been more than a year? How long have you known?” Oikawa moved onto the next question. The tips of his ears began to pinken. He had kept his expression mostly neutral, if a bit cold, to mask his dwindling confidence, but he felt himself falter after his outburst at the notion that his irritating junior knew before he did. 

“It’s been…” Iwaizumi paused, eyes looking upward as he did some mental calculations, “Two and a half...maybe three years? Longer than it should have been.” 

“If you admit to that then why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Ah. There it was. The question that sent a dagger through Iwaizumi’s heart. He balked and felt his breath catch in his throat. Iwaizumi swore you could hear his heartbeat from Mars, and he felt like he was going to throw up. Oikawa took a step closer, Iwaizumi shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, trying not to think about how close they had gotten. 

“I...I don’t know. I know you’d want a definitive reason, but it’s too many little ones to point to an overarching problem.” 

“Then tell me all of them.” 

Iwaizumi inhaled. “I...for a long time I pretended it didn’t exist. I thought if I continued on and pretended it didn’t match your’s, life would go on normally; that somehow you’d know or at the very least I would be able to deal with it down the line. I know it’s dumb, but, truth be told I was scared.” In those words, Oikawa saw something he’d never seen before. It was no secret that Iwaizumi was sore about his height, but he never seemed little. He was bulky, and carried himself with pride. Yet, in this moment, he looked small. Helpless. Terrified. 

He continued: “I don’t want to hold you back. I’m doing that enough already. You missed out on your chance to reach your highest potential as a player because of me and my lack of skills. Don’t interrupt, Oikawa, just listen for a second. You’re worth so much more than you give yourself credit for, and just getting to see you grow is good enough for me,” Iwaizumi paused to recollect himself. _Damnit, if I’m tearing up now, there's no way I’ll be able to get through this_ , he thought, as his eyes dropped to the ground. “I want to stay by your side, and by revealing this truth, jeopardizes my standing with you. I don’t want to lose you Oikawa, you mean too much to me to run that risk. And, you know me, I’ve seen it work before. You don’t have to be with your Soulmate to find love. You can be happy the old fashioned way, with someone better than me. You’ve always been first and you’ll always be first. You being happy and yourself without having to mask it brings me all the happiness I could want… and what I’m trying to get at is that I love you enough that I’m willing to let someone el—” 

Iwaizumi couldn't finish his sentence as an unsuspecting weight caused him to step backwards to brace himself against it. He only realized Oikawa was hugging him when Iwaizumi got a whiff of the distinctive shampoo the setter used as he lowered his head to Iwaizumi’s shoulder. He tentatively brought his own arms up to embrace Oikawa. Iwaizumi wasn’t sure how Oikawa would react, but this quiet affection wasn’t it. 

“No one makes me happier than you do, and I want to keep it that way,” came Oikawa’s muffled reply. “You keep me in check and sane. You know how I feel often before I know myself. No one makes me feel more loved than you do.” Iwaizumi brought his hand up to the back of Oikawa’s neck, tangling his fingers in the setter’s hair. Oikawa tried to stifle a small sob as he looked up. 

Iwaizumi’s breath left his body when he met Oikawa’s eyes. His eyes were getting red and puffy as the tears fell from his eyes. His skin became blotchy, and his nose started to run which made him sniff none too gracefully. Oikawa was an ugly crier, but to Iwaizumi Oikawa had never looked prettier. The bright moon catching in his tears and made it look like he was crying starlight. The tears that pooled in his eyes caught soft light and made his eyes shine. The way his hair reflected the light made it look like was wearing a crown made of moonbeams. At this moment, Iwaizumi knew he was truly perfect. He moved his hand to cup Oikawa’s cheek and thumb away tears. 

“Hajime, what I’m trying to say is that I love you and have loved you longer than I’ve known.” 

“You love me?” 

“Sadly, you oaf,” Oikawa said with a half chuckle, half sob. Iwaizumi leaned in and bumped their foreheads together, though he had to stand on the tips of his toes to do so. Small tears began to pool in his own eyes. 

“Gosh you’re an ugly crier.” 

“Rather sauve in your flirting tactics Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said as he smiled and leaned into Iwaizumi’s hand. 

“So you accept my feelings?” Iwaizumi asked, still half in disbelief. 

“Iwaizumi Hajime, I love you to the moon and back,” and with that said Oikawa tilted his head down and kissed his Soulmate for the first time. It was brief; sweet and innocent, but both boys knew that this would be the most important kiss of their lives. Well, besides the one when they got married. They broke apart a few minutes later, and softly but ruefully laughed at the situation they got themselves in. Oikawa stepped back, but kept his hold on Iwaizumi’s jacket front, while the latter kept his hands on the setter’s waist. 

“You know, I was always waiting on you to ask me if I had gotten my Mark yet, and then I would tell you that we matched.” Iwaizumi said softly. 

“I never wanted to broach the topic with you. I didn’t want to be insensitive towards your feelings.” 

“Seriously? Gosh, we’re such bad communicators.” 

“Well, at least we know now. Promise you’ll tell me everything from now on Iwa-chan?” Oikawa said, bumping foreheads for the second time that night. 

“I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> I always like Soulmate AUs and I also like science so I figured why not needlessly explain how they work!¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Also I have no clue how people can write 10k+ fics this was difficult enough omg


End file.
